ENMU to present pair of plays

The Eastern New Mexico University theater department will soon be presenting the community with two unique productions with gender-based perspectives, according to officials.

Glengarry Glen Ross, playing at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the University Theatre Center, features an all male cast — a characteristic that allows the audience to observe a unique perspective, according to the play’s director, Assistant Professor of Digital Filmmaking Jon Barr.

“Glengarry Glen Ross is a masterfully written play that explores issues like work, masculinity and the way we treat each other. It’s not appropriate for children but not every good thing is,” Barr said. “It’s sometimes dark, sometimes funny, a thought-provoking drama that unfolds in front of you, right here in Portales.”

The plot revolves around a group of competitive real estate agents desperate to make a living; this struggle was part of the reason Barr was drawn to the play.

“This is one of my favorite plays by one of my favorite playwrights (David Mamet), so I’ve always wanted to direct it. Although the language is rough, it’s also lyrical in its construction,” he said. “There is desperation in the struggle to sell, and it is interesting the way the characters use language as a weapon.”

Barr added that his all-male production will be followed shortly after by a play with an all female cast.

Written by Caryl Churchill, Top Girls will be performed at 7 p.m. Nov. 17-19 and 2 p.m. Nov. 20 at the UTC, according to Associate Professor of Theater Anne Beck, who directs the production.

The play focuses on the sacrifices women make to succeed, seen through the lens of main character Marlene as she speaks with historical female figures about their struggles and portrays herself as a successful “top girl” to her niece, Angie.

The all female cast will “explore the achievements of women as well as the sacrifices made to get there,” she said. “Further, most women are not ‘high-flyers’ and fabulously successful. The play explores both the highs and the lows for women.”

General admission for both Glengarry Glen Ross and Top Girls will be $5 for the general public.